Through simple, colorful illustrations and rhyming verse, Donald Crew's counting book playfully portrays common objects whose parts can be seen as various numbers of black dots. For example, Crews illustrates the face of a snowman with three black dots. Read the book aloud and show children the illustrations. Discuss how the dots are used on each page. Then, ask children to name other objects that might include the given number of dots.

Invite children to create their own number book, similar to Crews' Ten Black Dots. Distribute bags of dots, glue, crayons or markers, and paper and tell children to use from one to ten dots to create their own pictures. (Older children can use greater numbers of dots, such as 20 or 50, to create pictures.) Children can label each illustrated page by writing the numeral and a sentence that includes the corresponding number word for the number of dots on the page. For example, Four black dots can make the eyes on two cats.

When children have completed their illustrations, ask them to put the pages in order from one to ten. With the last sheet of paper they can create a cover for their book, giving it a title related to their illustrations. Provide paper fasteners and help children fasten the pages into a book.

Invite children to share their books with classmates and their families before adding them to the class library or math center.

ACTIVITY 2Solving Dot Equations

NCTM Standard

Concepts of Whole Number Operations

Materials

number book pages showing from one to ten dots (from Activity 1)

magnets or Funtak

chalk

Create a simple addition problem by posting on the chalkboard two dot pictures displaying a certain number of dots on each. State a word problem and ask one child to count the dots, write a simple corresponding addition number sentence, and solve the equation. Ask another class member to check the work and then to choose two new pages to represent another addition equation.

Depending on the abilities of your children, you might extend the activity to incorporate a lesson on number families, inequalities, or subtraction. Children can also use three or four picture pages to create and solve equations with more than two addends.

Across the Curriculum

CONNECT THE DOTS You or the children in your class can create connect-the-dot pictures by placing a piece of tracing paper over a simple picture and drawing dots with corresponding numbers in a logical sequential order. Individual connect-the-dot pictures can be duplicated and distributed to the entire class, or pictures can be laminated and placed in the math learning center, along with an erasable marker.

MORE COUNTING BOOKS Provide additional examples of counting books. Invite children to read them and note the various themes used by different authors. Encourage children to make and solve equations with numbers from the books, including books with numbers in the hundreds or thousands.

Subjects:

Math, Arts and Crafts, Early Math, Early Writing, Following Directions, Sharing and Taking Turns, Educational Standards